Child & Family Guidance Center, Bob’s Auto Service Help Bridgeport Youth

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – The Child & Family Guidance Center’s Care Coordination staff partnered with Bob’s Auto Service in Bridgeport to provide two local youths with opportunities for connection and growth.

Left to right: Eugenio Ruemmelle, Anthony Fiorella, Robert Wade, owner Bob’s Auto Service, and Claire Souffrant of Child & Family Guidance Center.
Photo Credit: *Contributed*

Nicole Briggs

12/15/2015 5:00 a.m.

Child & Family Guidance Center’s Care Coordinators offer help and support for children with behavioral and emotional health challenges, and their families. They are trained in an evidence-based program called the Wraparound process, in which they work with families and their selected team of support to uncover what’s causing the challenges and figure out creative solutions using the skills and talents available within the team.

Care Coordinator Claire Souffrant’s collaboration with Bob’s Auto Service built on the strengths of two of her clients: Eugenio Ruemmelle and Anthony Fiorella.

Souffrant started working with Ruemmelle when he was in the seventh grade at Dunbar Middle School. At that time, he had great difficulty working with teachers and school administrators, and was frequently suspended.

“Through the Wraparound Process, we learned that Eugenio was handy and liked to fix things,” said Souffrant. “In order to build on his strengths, we connected him with Bob’s Auto Shop. He went to a summer program at the auto shop and has worked there ever since. He is now 22 years old and is treated like family by the store owners. Robert Wade and his wife bring him to their family reunions and to church.”

Fiorella is a current client of Souffrant. He is 16 years old and was having difficulty with negative peer influences in his neighborhood. Over the last summer, Fiorella worked at Bob’s Auto service, as his team realized that he likes to help his neighbors fix things.

“When you focus on a child’s strengths and ensure the family has both ‘voice and choice’ in the Wraparound process, all sorts of good things are possible,” said Virginia Lopez, director of the Child & Family Guidance Center’s Care Coordination program.

For nearly a century, the mission of The Child and Family Guidance Center has been addressing the emotional and psychological well-being of children and their families. Over the last year alone, CFGC served over 3,100 children and families.

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